From: Jim Wilkerson on October 10, 2024
One might say that the Hegeler Carus Mansion is the James Millikin Homestead on steroids. With its seven levels, fifty-seven rooms, and approximately 16,000 square feet of space, it is a magnificent sight to see on the outside as well as on the inside.
On September 24th, JMH board members, David Bowman and Jim Wilkerson, made a trip to La Salle, Illinois and was given a thorough tour from Executive Director, Laura Walker, and Marketing & Development Coordinator, April Murphy, both on staff at the Hegeler Carus Foundation.
The Hegeler Carus Mansion, although much larger than our beloved Homestead, does have some interesting things in common right away:
- It has a beautiful tower
- It was designed by architect W.W. Boyington
- It was completed in 1876
So that means that they will be celebrating 150 years at the same time we will be!
When David and I entered the home, our breath was taken away. The sheer size of the building is enough to do just that, but the beauty around every corner continued to mesmerize us. The home’s interior was designed by William August Fiedler, an architect from Germany. We found other similarities with the Homestead as we ventured in further. There were wooden shutters as opposed to drapes. They had an informal Parlor. There were amazing chandeliers and medallions.
Laura Walker explained to us that there were two main entrances to the home. One for family and one for visitors. Visitors would come in from the side of the building where there are two curved staircases (in need of repair right now, but you can easily imagine its former beauty). When visitors would come in that side entrance they would be welcomed into the reception/receiving room. If the visitors were there to meet family, they would be taken into the parlor. If they were there to conduct business, they were taken into the library to meet with Mr. Hegeler.
Laura and April contined to show us around most of the building, including the tower where all nine fireplaces in the home converge into one chimney. We also saw huge, swivel doors, as seen in the video below. We saw several storage rooms with countless archives and items that I think ALL BOARD MEMBERS wish we had here at the Homestead. I think the the biggest surprise for me, though, was when Laura said that we would now go to see the gym. The gym? Yes, an indoor gym. Laura said they believe it to be the oldest surviving indoor gym in the country, and possibly the world. You’ll see more photos of this room in the video below.
One other thing we have in common: We both need to make repairs and continue to find funding for that. Whereas most of the repairs needed at the Homestead are on the outside of the home, the Hegeler Carus Mansion is needing a lot of work on the inside. As you can imagine, the more square feet, the more rooms you have – the more repairs needed. The parlor is one of the rooms that has been completely renovated and it is absoultely stunning. It gives you an idea of what CAN be, if enough money is raised and enough people get involved. We sincerely hope the foundation continues to grow and that they get what they need to preserve this masterpiece.
The Hegeler Carus Mansion is located at 1307 Seventh Street in La Salle, Illinois. The mansion was designed for Edward C. Hegeler who was a partner with Frederick Matthiessen. They owned and operated the Matthiessen and Hegeler (M&H) Zinc Company. Hegeler also launched the Open Court Publishing Company and hired a German scholar named Dr. Paul Carus, to serve as managing editor. In 1888, Carus married Hegeler’s daughter, Mary Hegeler, who was the first woman to graduate from the University of Michigan. The publishing company was located on the first level of the house. Mary took over running the M&H Zinc Company from her father, ran part of the Open Court Publishing Company, eventually taking over as editor with Carus’ death in 1919.
Mary lived in the house until her death in 1936. The house was occupied mainly by their children. In 2001, its sole resident was 99-year-old Alwin Carus, one of six children of Paul and Mary, who died in 2004.
The mansion was added as a National Historic Landmark in 2007. Today, the Hegeler Carus Foundation is staffed by four employees and other volunteers.
You can watch two videos below: one video shows some photos and videos of our trip there. The other video is professionally produced and on their official website.
Official Website: https://www.hegelercarus.org/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hegelercarus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hegelercarusmansion/
Our YouTube Video:
Hegeler Carus Mansion Video: